1 If therefore there is any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion, 2 make my joy full by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; 3 doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself; 4 each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.

5 Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, yes, the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also highly exalted him, and gave to him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, those on earth, and those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

12 So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without complaining and arguing, 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world, 16 holding up the word of life, that I may have something to boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run in vain nor labor in vain. 17 Yes, and if I am poured out on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 In the same way, you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

19 But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered up when I know how you are doing. 20 For I have no one else like-minded, who will truly care about you. 21 For they all seek their own, not the things of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that he has proved himself. As a child serves a father, so he served with me in furtherance of the Good News. 23 Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it will go with me. 24 But I trust in the Lord that I myself also will come shortly.

25 But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier, and your apostle and servant of my need, 26 since he longed for you all, and was very troubled because you had heard that he was sick. 27 For indeed he was sick nearly to death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, that I might not have sorrow on sorrow. 28 I have sent him therefore the more diligently, that when you see him again, you may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. 29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all joy, and hold such people in honor, 30 because for the work of Christ he came near to death, risking his life to supply that which was lacking in your service toward me.

1 Seepärast, kui te saate ühendusest Kristusega mingisugust julgustust, mingisugust lohutust tema armastusest, mingisugust Vaimu osadust, mingisugust kaastunnet ja halastust, 2 siis tehke mu rõõm täielikuks sellega, et te mõtlete ühtviisi, armastate sama armastusega, olete samas Vaimus ja meeles. 3 Ärge tehke midagi kiusu ega auahnuse pärast, vaid pidage alandlikkuses üksteist ülemaks endast. 4 Ärge tegutsege üksnes enda, vaid ka teiste huvides!

5 Suhtes üksteisega olge sama mõtteviisiga kui Kristus Jeesus:

6 kes, olles Jumala kuju,

ei hoidnud kinni õigusest olla Jumalaga võrdne,

7 vaid tegi end tühiseks,

võttes orja kuju,

saades inimese sarnaseks.

8 Ja kui ta leiti inimese sarnasena,

alandas ta iseennast,

saades kuulekaks surmani –

koguni ristisurmani.

9 Seetõttu on Jumal tõstnud ta kõige kõrgemale

ja andnud talle nime üle kõigi nimede,

10 et Jeesuse nime ees nõtkuks iga põlv

nii taevas, maa peal kui ka maa all

11 ja iga suu tunnistaks, et Jeesus Kristus on Issand,

Jumala Isa kirkuseks.

12 Seepärast, mu armsad, nõnda nagu te alati olete olnud kuulekad, mitte ainult minu juuresolekul, vaid palju enam nüüd mu äraolekul, pingutage oma pääste nimel kartuse ja värinaga! 13 Sest Jumal töötab teis, et teie soovid ja teod vastaksid tema headele eesmärkidele.

14 Tehke kõike ilma nurisemata ja vaidlemata, 15 et te oleksite laitmatud ja puhtad, veatud Jumala lapsed keset nurjatut ja pöörast sugupõlve, kelle seas te särate otsekui tähed ilmaruumis, 16 kui hoiate kinni elu sõnast. Siis on mul põhjust kiidelda Kristuse päeval, et ma ei ole asjata jooksnud ega asjata vaeva näinud. 17 Ja isegi kui mu elu valatakse välja nagu joogiohver teie usust tuleneva ohvri ja teenistuse peale, olen ma rõõmus ja tunnen rõõmu teie kõigi üle. 18 Olge siis teiegi rõõmsad ja rõõmustage koos minuga!

19 Ma loodan Issanda Jeesuse loal saata Timoteose peagi teie juurde, et minu süda saaks kinnitust, kuuldes, kuidas teil läheb. 20 Mul ei ole ju teist sellist mõttekaaslast, kes nõnda ehtsalt muretseks teie käekäigu pärast. 21 Igaühel on ju meeles oma mured, mitte see, mida Jeesus Kristus tahab. 22 Kuid Timoteose tublidus on teile teada, sest nagu poeg oma isa kõrval on ta koos minuga teeninud evangeeliumi. 23 Teda ma loodangi saata niipea, kui saan selgust oma olukorras. 24 Ent ma olen veendunud Issandas, et ka mina ise tulen peatselt.

25 Pidasin siiski vajalikuks saata teie juurde ka oma kaastöölise ja võitluskaaslase vend Epafroditose, teie apostli ja minu vajaduste eest hoolitseja, 26 sest ta igatses teie järele ja oli tusane, et te pidite kuulma ta haigestumisest. 27 Ta oli ju tõesti haige ja suremas, kuid Jumal halastas ta peale, õieti mitte ainult tema, vaid ka minu peale, et mind ei tabaks üks kurvastus teise järel. 28 Seepärast ma saadan ta võimalikult ruttu, et te saaksite teda nähes jälle rõõmsaks ja minagi ei peaks nõnda palju kurvastuma. 29 Võtke ta siis vastu Issandas täie rõõmuga ja pidage selliseid mehi au sees, 30 sest ta oli Kristuse töö pärast surmasuus, seades oma elu ohtu, et täita teie osa minu teenimises.